Korean Music Associations “NewJeans’ Foreign Interviews Could Escalate to National Issue, Injunction Approval Was Expected”
As the court sided with ADOR in its injunction to prevent NewJeans from pursuing independent activities, several music associations in Korea expressed their support for the ruling.
On March 21, the Civil Division 50 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Sang-hoon) ruled in favor of ADOR’s request for an injunction to “preserve agency status and prohibit the signing of advertising contracts” with third parties, filed against the members of NewJeans. The court did not accept any of the claims raised by NewJeans’ side regarding the termination of their exclusive contract.
As a result, NewJeans must continue to operate under the terms of their contract with ADOR and cannot carry out independent promotions or collaborate with other agencies.
However, in an interview with TIME magazine published on March 22, NewJeans members expressed disappointment over the court’s decision. “It’s disappointing,” they said, adding, “We didn’t expect the issues within the K-pop industry to change overnight.”
They continued, “Compared to everything we’ve been through so far, this is just another step in our journey. Maybe this is just the current reality in Korea. But that’s exactly why we believe change and growth are necessary. It almost feels like Korea wants to turn us into revolutionaries.”
In response to the developments, industry bodies such as the Korea Management Federation (KMF) and the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) welcomed the court’s decision. These associations had previously criticized NewJeans’ abrupt attempt to terminate their contract and urged former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin to clarify allegations of tampering.
Lee Nam-kyung, director at the KMF, stated to Sports Today, “NewJeans essentially said they would operate outside the law, and the court has ruled to prohibit solo activities. Fundamentally, contracts are about upholding what both sides agreed to. Even if there’s a dispute, it should be handled within the boundaries of the contract. That’s a basic principle of democracy. What concerned us was the notion of operating outside that structure.”
He added, “If it had ended with just NewJeans, it would still be a problem. But with recent issues like tampering and other contract disputes surfacing, the industry itself was at risk. So while this ruling doesn’t solve every conflict, it at least establishes that exclusive contracts must be respected. In that sense, we feel relieved.”
Choi Kwang-ho, secretary general of the KMCA, also commented on NewJeans’ interview with foreign media. “In speaking with the foreign press, the members of NewJeans framed this as not just a private legal issue, but as a problem with the Korean music industry or even the country itself,” he said. “During previous press conferences, both NewJeans and their fans insisted that this was strictly a legal matter between two parties and that associations should not intervene. But if it continues to be treated as an industry-wide issue, or one that reaches political arenas like the National Assembly, we may have to respond.”
He further stressed, “We hope this remains a private legal matter and doesn’t expand into a national issue. The way the interview was framed, suggesting this is a Korean societal problem, is risky. It’s also concerning that foreign media presented only one side’s claims through such interviews.”